Shattered Faces
by Omkara
Summary: After Naraku, Kagome was stuck. The well didn't work anymore now that the power of the Shikon jewel was gone. She had nowhere to go besides back to Kaede's village with her friends. At least she still had them. Kikyo is alive and warm. Will Inuyasha finally make his choice? Will he choose Kagome or will she unknowingly run into the arms of someone she never expected to comfort her?
1. Chapter 1

Naraku was finally gone. The man who pit Inuyasha and Kikyo against each other just for his own selfish gain of tainting the Shikon jewel. The man who cursed Miroku and his family with the wind tunnel. The man who sent demons to murder Sango's village and forced her brother to kill their father, was gone. You probably couldn't find a being that wasn't happy about that for the man was truly terrible. In defeating him the jewel was also removed from this world for good. The only way to make the Shikon jewel cease to exist was to ask for something pure of heart. That pure of heart wish for the jewel to exist no longer unfortunately trapped Kagome 500 years in the past. Without the jewel she could no longer return home for the magic of the Bone Eater's well was gone.

Not that she minded, Kagome enjoyed being in the Feudal era with her friends. Obviously she was going to miss her family and her friends from her time period but at least she had people here as well. After the jewel disappeared Kagome felt something shift. Focusing on herself for a moment as they made their way back to Kaede's village she could feel that something was different. It was like she had lost all familiarity with how Kikyo's aura felt because she developed her own. She felt like her own person now. Not overly concerned about the new development she shrugged her shoulders, causing Shippo to look at her, wondering if he needed to readjust his position or switch to someone else as they walked. Reaching a hand up, the raven haired miko ruffled the little fox tyke's hair to reassure him that he was fine where he was.

They had all been through so much to get to this point. All of Naraku's traps and reincarnations had definitely taken their toll on the group - a much larger one than they cared to admit. After so many, constant hardships, they almost couldn't believe that it was over. Figuring out what to do next would definitely be a challenge, but then again, just living is a challenge all on it's own.

* * *

Months had passed since the jewel was wished away and the group had made their home in the village of old Kaede. Kagome cared for Shippo like he was her own child, which he greatly enjoyed, even if it meant that he had to deal with Inuyasha all the time. The friend group helped each other make huts in the village. Kagome got her own with a spare room so that everyone would stop walking in on her changing all the time. It also gave her extra room for when Inuyasha decided to stay over or when everyone decided to come over for dinner. Sango and Miroku also had their own hut. With the wind tunnel gone from his hand the two of them were finally able to start their own relationship. Granted Miroku was having a slightly hard time adjusting from his womanizing ways and Sango was just as brutal each time he was caught. Kagome felt slightly bad for her friend having to deal with the lecherous monk, but at the same time both of them knew it was just an old habit that would be hard to break. Although admittedly it was slightly entertaining to see Miroku wandering around the village with a big ass handprint on his cheek.

Kagome had started her own relationship as well, with Inuyasha. Kikyo wasn't around to get in their way and Naraku wasn't trying to kill them all the time anymore so they decided to give it a shot. The relationship distracted Kagome from the fact that she could never go home again, but she really did care for Inuyasha so she was happy.

"Are you staying over tonight?" Kagome asked the half demon who she partially shared a home with. She wasn't sure where Inuyasha slept the nights that he wasn't in her hut but she didn't question it, figuring that he missed sleeping under the stars like they used to do so often.

"Feh… what's it to you if I stay or not?" Inuyasha barked back. He liked staying with Kagome but on his end he was starting to feel confused about his emotions. So his solution was distance himself until he could properly work through the troubled thoughts in his mind and understand them. The silver-haired man did regret his choice of phrasing though when he saw the small flinch Kagome gave at his words.

The young girl let out a heavy sigh. The half demon she was in a relationship with was starting to get rather prickly lately and she couldn't figure out why. All she wanted to do was be there for him and help him figure out what ever it was that was bothering him. "Inuyasha, I just wanted to know if I was to be expecting you is all. This may be a strange concept to you but I do like knowing what is going on in my own home. So if you are going to be here, great. If you aren't then I know not to worry when I wake up and you aren't here."

He knew what she meant, but still felt bad for making her have to say it out loud. He was thankful that Shippo was outside playing with the village kids so he didn't have to see this. The little fox was more perceptive than the half dog demon cared to admit. "I ain't your dog Kagome, I can do whatever the hell I want!" he spouted off, internally balking at the words he just hurled towards the girl who had done so much for him. This was why he wanted to be by himself for a bit. When he didn't understand what was going on inside him he always snapped at everything and made mountains out of thin air.

"Alright then… do whatever. I'm going to see if I can spend the night with Sango." Kagome countered, not really wanting to deal with his emotional backlash. The raven haired girl had been around him long enough to know that when he got like this there was usually something churning in the back of his mind that he was trying to figure out. "If you do come back and sleep here, clean up after yourself would ya?" she asked him before getting to her feet. Dusting off the invisible debris that had settled on her lap she strode out of her hut and towards the dwelling that housed her other friends.

The raven haired priestess tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she walked, the light breeze sending the dark tresses billowing to the side. Capturing a section of hair while on her journey she studied the tips. _'Has my hair really grown that much…'_ she mused to herself as she walked. Having spent two years wandering in the Feudal era leaving her hair loose didn't really phase her much. It was also her way of sticking it to the people who continuously compared her to Kikyo for that duration of time. In those two years Kagome's hair really has grown, as well as her body. She wasn't that 15 year old girl traveling to and from the Feudal era anymore, she was now a 17 year old girl living permanently in a dangerous time period. With the amount of time she has been here her body went from being soft to being toned. Muscle had developed from fighting that gave her more curves as her body matured and she finally ditched that schoolgirl uniform. These days she wandered around in hiking boots, sun faded jeans, and an assortment of tops that she felt still followed within the realms of her being a priestess.

The clothing she had now was her mother's idea. On one of her last return trips her mother had suggested that she started to store some more practical clothing in the village instead of wearing her uniform all the time. When her mother had made the suggestion however, it just flew over Kagome's head being as she was running late for school. To her surprise when she returned home that day her mother had a bunch of different clothing items displayed on their kitchen table. There were multiple pairs of jeans because her mother knew that they would better protect her from the undergrowth than other types of pants. There were also a few pairs of shorts thrown into the mix for when the group decided to take a break in the village so that her daughter could relax. Taking a look at the shirts her mother had picked out Kagome was really impressed. The tops were more on the stylized side considering that they were coming from the present, but all of them still fit the role of a priestess in her mind. Sure they were different types of tank tops, off the shoulder, and halter like tops, but they were all very… free flowing was the word she felt described them best. Much like how the wind was free to do with her powers whatever it desired. Continuing down the array of clothing a small laugh escaped her as she saw the swim suits and pajamas. Kagome's mother was entertaining at times and the simple fact that she even bothered to get her daughter two different types of swimsuits as well as sleepwear for warm and cool temperatures, her daughter couldn't help but giggle at her mother's over preparedness. Honestly, not even Kagome herself would have thought about swimwear or temperature shifts, let alone making sure that all the clothing worked with a single pair of shoes. Stuffing everything into her bag she stored the items at Kaede's when she returned from that trip so as to not carry everything besides the essentials in her yellow backpack.

Shaking her head to clear her mind of thoughts from the past, Kagome knocked on the door frame of the hut that housed Sango and Miroku. She had accidentally seen more than she wished to on a few occasions since the monk and slayer had moved in together so she had developed a habit of knocking first just to be safe.

"Come in Kagome!" Sango called out in response to the familiar knock that only Kagome gave her house. A smile spread across the face of the female slayer when her friend walked into the main room of her hut. "What brings you over here for a surprise visit?" the brunette asked, not minding in the slightest when Kagome randomly dropped by. The slayer missed when they spent most of their time together so she was always happy to see Kagome.

"Hey Sango!" she responded in greeting before peering around the hut, looking for signs of Miroku. "Where's Miroku?" Kagome asked, genuinely curious of his whereabouts as she stepped inside.

"Oh, he's probably scamming some helpless village headman somewhere, he was getting low on money so he left looking for a few exorcism jobs to tide us over for a while." Sango responded, patting the floor next to her as she polished her giant boomerang. "Why do you ask?" she questioned as she worked on her weapon.

Kagome strode into the hut, leaving her shoes in the appropriate area before settling herself down next to her friend and leaning back against the wall. "Inuyasha and I had another spat, so I was wondering if I could stay here for the night…. I-I just didn't want to impose if you and Miroku had plans, ya know.." She hated asking Sango if she could hide here all the time. It wasn't really hiding if the person you were trying to hide from knew where you were. Kagome couldn't really think of anywhere else to go though. She didn't want to bother old Kaede with trivial matters and Sango had been witness to all of the ups and downs her relationship with Inuyasha had suffered so the slayer got the brunt of it by default.

"You two had another argument?" Sango asked her friend. Putting down the supplies she was using to keep her weapon in prime condition the demon slayer turned to face Kagome, concern evident in her eyes. "You two sure have been having a lot of arguments lately. Is everything ok?" the slayer asked. "I know you two have always fought, but I can't help but feel that this is a little different…"

A sigh escaped the priestess' lips, "We have been fighting more often recently but I don't think that it is anything to be concerned about. I think his temper is just flaring up again at being stagnant after travelling so much." she countered with a smile. "I just don't want to deal with his childish behavior right now, so can I stay? Please?" Kagome asked again, clapping her hands in front of her face and bowing slightly, her hair spilling over her shoulders as she did so.

The slayer eyed her friend suspiciously for a moment when that smile spread across her lips. She wasn't sure what but she felt like something was amiss between her two friends. Maybe they were still adjusting to the fact that if Kagome got upset, she had just recently lost her place that she would run off to to cool off for a few days before returning. Either way there was something going on and Sango didn't like not knowing what it was. Shaking her head free of thoughts that she probably shouldn't be having anyway, a finger came up and met her chin as she looked to the ceiling in thought. "Miroku shouldn't be returning until tomorrow night so I don't have a problem with it. Do you want to have dinner together as well Kagome? You know how much I enjoy your cooking."

Gasping happily, Kagome leaned forward, hugging Sango excitedly, "Thank you so so much! Is there anything you want specifically for dinner? You did take the time to craft me those pots and pans afterall." the raven haired girl asked her friend, referring to the cookware that Sango generously made Kagome when they realized that she couldn't return to her era.

Thinking for a moment the slayer tilted her head to the side, a smile spreading across her face, "Surprise me!"

* * *

Inuyasha's ears lowered into his hair as he watched Kagome walk away. Why did he always do that? What was wrong with him? Why was he always picking fights with her lately? He just couldn't understand it. All he had left after the Naraku incident was Kagome and his friends. His first love was returned to the netherworld but Kagome was still there for him. He knew how she felt about him and he knew that he cared about her as well. So why wasn't he feeling like it was enough lately? Was he restless? Craving adventure like when they were dealing with Naraku? It couldn't be that, could it? All of his friends were almost killed more than once while dealing with that filthy vermin, so he couldn't be craving that again… could he?

Deciding that there wasn't anything more he could do at this point he left Kagome's hut and started walking. The half dog demon didn't really have a plan as to where he was going, he just knew that he needed time to clear his head and get his thoughts back under control before seeing Kagome again. One thing Inuyasha did do on purpose though was make sure to take his walk on the main road. Maybe a passing traveler or merchant would let information about a demon slip. Kami-sama knows that Inuyasha could use a punching bag right about now.

Inuyasha wandered for a while, not really passing anyone who had any interesting tales of demons that needed slaying, so he crossed his arms behind his head and kept trudging along. The sun was starting to set and he had no clue how far away from Kaede's village he had actually wandered. Scratching the back of his head he lept into a nearby tree, settling down to watch the sun set over the rice paddy fields. He would go back to the village afterwards, Inuyasha had decided with a yawn, his back to the main body of the tree as he watched the horizon.

The entire sky was a deep purple except for the small sliver of burnt orange that remained on the distant edge of the fields before Inuyasha's enhanced hearing picked up two swordsman. They were talking about how they were dispatched by their lord to help protect one of his villages from a demon. Seeing as how they were still alive, Inuyasha figured they had succeeded in their task, which meant that the rest of their conversation was of no interest to him. That was, until he heard them say a name he was sure to never hear again. Inuyasha focused his hearing on their conversation more intently, wanting to be sure that his mind wasn't playing tricks on him. That's when one of them said it again. Said how a priestess named Kikyo showed up in the nick of time and helped them vanquish the demon and tend to the wounded. They went on about how she was able to destroy the beast in one shot from her bow and how gentle and kind she was with the wounded men and the children of the village. The rest of their conversation however was drowned out by the flood of thoughts and emotions that started raging inside the half demon sitting just out of sight.

'_Sh-she's alive?!'_ was the first thought to come to Inuyasha's mind, finding it hard to believe the words of the men on the path below him. Feelings of confusion, anger, love, longing, happiness, and sadness all whirled around him as he dropped out of the tree he had been perched in and approached the men. "The priestess you spoke of, where is she?!" Inuyasha demanded, trying to ask them where she was and not bark orders at them.

Both men startled at Inuyasha suddenly landing in front of them and contemplated running away from him when he all but yelled at them, but upon realizing he was a half demon decided it best to just give him the information he wanted. They had just witnessed this priestess easily dispatch another demon so if the one before them wanted to hassen to his death, they weren't going to stop him. Turning slightly, they pointed in the direction they had just come from, informing the silver haired demon in front of them that the village lay over the ridge at the edge of the forest.

With that last bit of information they watch as Inuyasha dashed off into the night after a rumor about Kikyo.


	2. Chapter 2

The sun had finished falling below the horizon as Inuyasha accosted the travelling swordsmen, asking about the priestess they were oh so casually talking about. Obtaining the information he desired, the half demon ran off into the night chasing a rumor. Fireflies flitting to and fro in the darkness lit the way for him as they tried to avoid running into him. They may be insects, but they did value the short life they had. Silver hair billowed out behind him as Inuyasha ran, hoping that his demonic speed would allow him to reach the village before the woman rumoured to be Kikyo moved on. He had to know. He needed to know if she was still alive. Maybe this was why he was so restless? If he could just lay eyes on her maybe he could figure out why he's been so irritable and restless lately.

Bare feet hastily padded along the dirt path as he ran, Inuyasha pondered what he would do if it really was Kikyo. There was a small portion of his heart that hoped that Kikyo was still alive, as she was his first love after all. There was no way he could ever forget her. She was the first human he had ever developed feelings for. Heck, Inuyasha even considered using the sacred jewel to become human for her and even felt responsible for her death. Even though he wasn't actually the one to kill her, in his mind he might as well have.

Fifty-two years ago, when the half demon Naraku first emerged, he tricked Inuyasha and Kikyo to taint the Shikon jewel with darkness. Taking on the form of Inuyasha he lured Kikyo into the forest and attacked her, inflicting a fatal wound. Shortly after doing that Naraku did the same thing to Inuyasha, but this time he impersonated Kikyo and attacked with a bow and arrow. Upset that Kikyo betrayed him, Inuyasha attacked the village, destroying the shrine that housed the sacred jewel and tried to make off with it to become a full demon. Despite her injuries Kikyo was able to get back to the village and seal Inuyasha to a tree with an arrow full of her spiritual powers. The arrow put Inuyasha to sleep for fifty years but unfortunately was the last thing Kikyo was able to accomplish before her wounds sent her to an early grave.

"Come to think of it, if that hadn't happened I would probably wouldn't have met Kagome…. or Shippo, Sango, and Miroku for that matter…" Inuyasha mused out loud to himself as the flitting lights of the fires used to light the village he was heading towards slowly started to come into view.

* * *

Back in Kaede's village Kagome was cleaning the cookware she had used to cook dinner for Sango, Shippo, and herself. The dinner she prepared wasn't anything fancy but she knew that Sango enjoyed the curry that was made a few times while they were out searching for jewel shards, so that is what Kagome prepared. In a way her anger towards Inuyasha was also what caused her to choose the dish. Stifling a small giggle at the memories of Inuyasha not being able to handle any form of curry while she cleaned.

"Are you sure you don't need any help with those Kagome? You were the one to cook so the least I can do is help you clean up." Sango asked her friend as she came up behind Kagome to see how much of the washing was left to do.

Rinsing out the large cooking bowl Kagome used to prepare the curry, she turned to look at Sango. "It's fine, I only have a few bowls left to clean anyway." Kagome replied to the demon slayer's question as she sat the bowl down to dry before picking up one of the serving bowls to wash. "I also don't want to lose the habit of cleaning right away. This time period doesn't have the cleaning capabilities that mine does and I can't leave these to sit for too long or they'll never be fully clean again." she told Sango as she cleaned, sitting the bowl she was currently working on down to dry and then fishing for another one in the soapy water.

Sango nodded in understanding. Unlike Inuyasha, the rest of the friend group wasn't privy to seeing how Kagome's era functioned, no matter how curious they were. There were many things that Kagome would often bring back with her to give them and she certainly missed a few of the ninja snacks. As much as the food amazed her, the healing supplies that Kagome's time period held also fascinated her with their effectiveness. "I'll start preparing the bedding then." Sango chirped with a smile, turning on her heel to start the task she had just assigned herself.

Knowing that Shippo would more than likely be joining them when he came back from playing with the village children after dinner Sango made sure to provide enough spacing for him and Kirara to sleep between the two women comfortably.

* * *

Having reached the village, Inuyasha skidded to a halt at the very edge. Turning his nose up into the air he took a few test sniffs to see if he could catch Kikyo's scent. Not catching the familiar scent at first he took a few more just as a breeze kicked up, flowing in his direction. Suddenly his ears pricked forward as the wheels in Inuyasha's mind started working overdrive. _'What is this…? It's her scent but I don't smell any graveyard soil. It's just like the scent she had all those years ago before she died…'_ All those thoughts whirled around in his head as he instinctively followed the scent into the village.

Inuyasha wandered around the village following the maze that Kikyo's scent had left him. A concerned villager cautiously approached him, hoping that the half-demon wasn't there to attack. "Can I help you?" the villager asked Inuyasha, trying to pretend that talking to a half-demon wasn't terrifying.

The silver haired lad turned to face the human who approached him, hearing him before the villager even dared speak to him. Inuyasha's ears moved about on the top of his head, trying to catch any sound that could lead him to Kikyo if this villager didn't know where she was. "Is there a priestess named Kikyo here? I passed a few swordsmen on the road and they were talkin' about her." Inuyasha asked the human who came to him, crossing his arms over his chest.

"She came to this village a few months ago, I believe she is still in the temple aiding the wounded swordsman…" the villager trailed off. Having answered Inuyasha's question without thinking and the regretting giving out the information so easily.

'_So she is at that temple.'_ Inuyasha thought to himself as he turned to start heading that direction. Trotting off into the night he raised a hand up and waved over his shoulder, calling out a thank you to the individual who pointed him on his current course.

Reaching the temple he peered inside. His demonic hearing and sense of smell confirmed that one of the rooms off to the side housed all of the wounded. Inuyasha could hear the pained moans and smell the blood on them. All of a sudden his golden eyes were met by cool brown ones as Kikyo stood before him in her usual priestess garb. Golden orbs widened in shock and surprise at suddenly meeting her steady cool gaze. The sudden appearance caused him to jump back a bit out of habit.

"Inuyasha. What are you doing here?" Kikyo asked him, her calm voice flowing from her lips like silk. She wasn't surprised he was here, Kikyo figured that Inuyasha would find her eventually. Though she had hoped that it would have taken him longer to find her.

Inuyasha's jaw dropped when she spoke. He never thought he would hear her voice again after the Shikon jewel was gone, but here she was, standing before him and wondering what he was doing in the village. "K-Kikyo… is that really you?" he asked, taking a cautious step forward.

"I am myself Inuyasha, I could be no one else. You of all people should know that…" came Kikyo's reply as she closed her eyes and shook her head gently at Inuyasha's silly question. She didn't know why herself, but when Kagome wished that the jewel didn't exist anymore Kikyo had regained her soul. Maybe it was Midoriko's way of saying thank you for helping to end her eternal war inside the jewel that Kikyo was granted a second chance at a real life.

Inuyasha rushed forward and scooped her up into his arm, the robe of the fire rat enveloping her as he pulled her into a tight hug. "I thought that you were dead! Why didn't you let me know you were alive?!" he questioned and demanded all in one breath, squeezing Kikyo a little closer. That's when he felt it. She wasn't cool to the touch like when he held her before during those years hunting Naraku. Kikyo was… warm, and was that a heartbeat he could hear? Pulling away slightly Inuyasha looked down at the face of the woman in his arms. Were her cheeks actually flushed? Sniffing the air again he could smell Kikyo but no graveyard soil like when he caught her scent outside the village.

Putting her hand on his chest Kikyo looked up at Inuyasha, "I thought I was going to die as well, but apparently this is Midoriko's way of thanking Kagome and I. The ancient priestess gave me back my soul and gave Kagome her own. In doing so Midoriko also turned my clay body into a real one. I thought it best to come to terms with this on my own and to leave you with Kagome thinking I was dead."

Anger welled up inside him when he heard Kikyo say that she "left him" to Kagome. While he did love Kagome, it was his life, and he could do as he pleased. "You had no right! Do you know how I felt after realizing how you died? I may not have been the one to actually wound you, but it was still my fault…" Inuyasha paused for a moment before continuing. "Naraku stole what we had and crushed it, then forced us to do battle with him like we were his puppets or something! Now you take it upon yourself to decide I can be 'left' to certain people? What if I want to decide for myself?!" Inuyasha all but shouted at her before dipping his head and capturing Kikyo's lips with his own.

Originally Kikyo tried to fight against the kiss. She knew that Inuyasha was probably with Kagome now that the battle with Naraku was over, but she couldn't hold out. Her mind traveled to when she and Inuyasha first kissed on the dock all that time ago. A distant memory that came blazing to the surface and became all too real when she stopped struggling against him to embraced him back. The half-demon had matured during the whole ordeal with Naraku. He had made friends and even came to semi tolerable relationship with his older brother. Though he was still as dense as a boulder sometimes, he understood more than he used to. Leaning into the kiss Kikyo's hands slid from Inuyasha's chest around to his back and snagged fist fulls of his kimono.

Inuyasha's clawed hands slid up into Kikyo's dark brown hair, taking fistfulls of the fibers as he kissed her. Pulling her as close to him as physically possible. Falling head first into how good it felt to have her in his arms again. How good and natural it felt to kiss her. The two of them separated momentarily for air and Inuyasha just stared into Kikyo's cool gaze when suddenly a flash of warm brown covered over them. He visibly paled and went rigid when Kagome's face flashed over Kikyo's as the realization of what he just did punched him in the face. The hands that were in Kikyo's dark hair released the tressed and flew to her shoulders as he put a few inches of distance between them. "Damn… Kagome…" Inuyasha mutter under his breath, looking towards the ground for a moment before bringing his gaze back up towards Kikyo.

"What will you do Inuyasha?" Kikyo asked him, the blood still pooled in her cheeks from their embrace just moments prior. Her breathing was heavy as she tried to regain the oxygen she had lost, curious about Inuyasha's decision. Some people probably wouldn't believe her but she did miss him.

All Inuyasha could do was stare at her, a few awkward moments passed between them as he thought to himself. What was he supposed to do now? She wasn't dead like he thought. Kikyo was very much alive and he had just kissed her... While being in a relationship with Kagome. After a fight. This wasn't good, but it also didn't feel wrong either. "Are you gonna be in this village for a while?" Inuyasha wondered out loud to Kikyo, hoping her answer was yes so that he had tie to properly work this out.

The once dead priestess looked into the golden eyes of the man she loved so much that she followed him in what she thought was death. "I live here Inuyasha. I have for a while actually so no, I do not think that I will be going anywhere anytime soon." Kikyo responded.

Inuyasha nodded, "I need to get back to Kaede's village… I-I need to work some things out, but I'll be back to visit you soon." He said, placing a gentle kiss to her forehead before taking off into the night towards the village the half-demon called home.


	3. Chapter 3

Miroku could see the outskirts of Kaede's village as he walked down the main road, the rings on his staff jingling with him each step that he took. Originally the purple clad monk was planning on returning later in the day but having found a rather gullible castle lord not too far away from here as his first victim meant that he could come back to Sango faster. To which, he wasn't complaining. Miroku always felt lonely when the slayer wasn't with him. Not because he couldn't take care of himself against demons but because he truly enjoyed being around her. Yes, she was an exceptional fighter but he loved Sango for all that she was not just because she could hold her own. That woman did things to his heart that he never thought possible in the time that he knew her. Admittedly it was taking him a little longer than he would have liked to get used to fighting without his wind tunnel, but that was neither here nor there if it meant a full life with Sango. She was tough and down right cruel sometimes, not to mention her anger could turn anyone to stone but she was one of the most kind hearted people he had ever met. Constantly forgiving her brother for things he had no control over as well as all of his lecherous ways while they were traveling. Helping take care of Shippo when Kagome was gone to her world beyond the well. Not to mention how well she took care of Kirara. Sango was just down right beautiful to him, inside and out and Miroku couldn't wait to get back to her and see the look of excitement and surprise on her face when he showed up early.

Nearing the edge of the village Miroku saw a flash of red zip off into the forest out of the corner of his eye, "I wonder where Inuyasha is going at this hour…?" Miroku mused out loud to himself as he walked into the village's perimeter. Making a beeline for his hut that he shared with Sango.

Pushing the blind that covered the entrance to their home out of the way so that he could step inside his home Mirkou smiled over the sight that greeted him. Sango and Kagome were still sound asleep curled around Shippo and Kirara in a protective circle. The sight made the monk's mind wander and his mind replaced Kagome's body with his own while replacing Shippo and Kirara's bodies with that of newborns. Sango knew how much he wanted a family so the two of them had been trying pretty vigorously for children. Originally Miroku's want for a family was due to needing to carry on his bloodline to defeat Naraku, but now it was different. Now he wanted a big family he could spend the rest of his days loving because he could. He also didn't want to leave Sango in this world alone were anything to happen to him. Yes the wind tunnel wasn't going to be his death anymore but demons still target those with spiritual powers. Miroku also wasn't fully convinced that with the removal of the wind tunnel that the damage from all of the miasma he sucked in was completely erased. Miroku was prepared to live a long life, as long as he could get, but just in case he wanted to make sure that Sango wasn't alone.

The smile on Miroku's face faded, not because his fantasy was over but because something suddenly occurred to him. Kagome had been spending a lot of time with them lately. Now Miroku didn't mind, he loved being around Kagome. She was one of the people he cherished the most in this world but he was worried that something wasn't right. Normally when Inuyasha and Kagome would fight she would go down the well to her era. Inuyasha would wait a day or two, get impatient and then go back to get her. Kagome, being the bigger person she always was throughout their adventures would usually have calmed down by then. Forgiving Inuyasha for whatever it was that made her upset in the first place. Kagome wasn't able to do that anymore so she did the next best thing she could think of, which was spending time with Sango and himself. To which, that was was happening an awful lot lately.

Dropping the blind slowly, trying to not wake the demons sleeping between the two women Miroku rotated away from the door so that his back was resting against the outside of his hut. Tilting his head up to the sky the monk watched the clouds move and shift in the wind, thinking to himself. _'Hopefully Inuyasha leaving so early was just a coincidence… but if push comes to shove that half-demon has hurt Kagome enough already and I'm not sure I can let it go if Inuyasha does it again…'_

Some time had passed while Miroku stood outside, leaning up against his hut when he heard the sleeping individuals start to stir. It wasn't terribly late, if the sun was any indication it was still well before midday. The monk did take notice that even though Sango was usually the first to wake, that lately she had started to sleep longer than he did. Normally at this time she would've been fully dressed with breakfast almost made for the two of them. Of course Miroku didn't mind because he got to wake her up in some very creative ways when they were alone but it did make him wonder if she was finally with child. Suddenly a blur of dark hair dashed out of the hut and around the corner. Recognizing the dark mop of messy hair as Sango, Miroku quietly followed after her to make sure that she was alright.

* * *

Sango slept soundly that night, probably better than she had in a long while. Not to say that she didn't sleep soundly with Miroku around. She did, when he let her of course. This time was different. It was a very serene sleep and the dream that she was having, Sango was enjoying it.

She dreamt that she was a little older than she was now, grown into her body the rest of the way like most adult women. She was standing next to Kaede watching two little girls with short brown hair chase Miroku around outside their home. A satisfied smile filled with happiness and contentment spread across her lips as she watched the scene unfold before her. One of her hands lifted itself to rest atop her stomach. Looking down she could see that she was with child and that's when it dawned on her. The kids she was watching play with Miroku were her own and she was pregnant with a third child. Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought of the family she was dreaming about, hoping that it could become a reality. Unfortunately she couldn't stay and watch anymore, something was pulling her out of her mind and it wasn't feeling like a pleasant experience. Instinctively Sango curled her body into a slightly smaller ball than she was already in, trying to will the dream to last longer because Kagome had just entered her mind with someone else. Inuyasha wasn't anywhere to be found and there was a figure of another man standing there with her.

Trying to force the dream to last longer failed as Sango's eyes shot open and she rushed to her feet. Leaving a bewildered Kirara and half asleep Shippo behind when she startled them awake in her haste to make it outside. In her rush to get outside Sango didn't even see Miroku leaning against the wall right next to the door frame as she darted around the corner of the hut. Placing one hand on the side of the house for stability the other crossed over her stomach as the contents from her stomach were forced out. Her stomach was rolling inside her body causing Sango to convulse and vomit a second time. Suddenly she could feel someone pulling her hair out of the way. Gently moving the chocolate tresses out of the possibly gross line of fire and rubbing her back in large circles comfortingly.

A few dry heaves later, her body's way of making sure that nothing remained in her stomach, Sango turned to look at the person who aided her. Expecting it to be Kagome, nothing could hide the flush of embarrassment that flooded over her face, turning Sango practically into a tomato when she saw Miroku standing next to her. "M-Miroku… I thought you were coming back tonight?" she asked, trying to avoid looking at him after the sight he had just witnessed.

Miroku ignored her shy behavior, it was only natural for him to want to help her if she wasn't feeling well. "I came back early. I came across a castle with sucker… ahem, I mean Lord that needed my services. I made enough with that job that I didn't need to find more so I came home to you. I wanted to surprise you my dear Sango." He told her with a smile, dipping down to place a chaste kiss to her cheek.

"I-I'm sorry that I ruined your surprise Miroku.." Sango trailed off, still embarrassed that Miroku just witnessed her empty the contents of her stomach.

A small chuckle passed his lips as he pulled her into a hug, "How about you go clean yourself up. I'm pretty sure that everyone is awake now and we can have some breakfast. I'll ask Kagome if there's anything she can suggest you eat. Her being from a different time and training with Kaede she may have a better idea about food you can keep down."

Sango's blush hadn't fully gone away, but she was slightly less embarrassed than she was moments prior. She nodded in agreement as the quietest of 'Okay's' passed her lips. Miroku wrapped his arm around her and escorted Sango back inside to be greeted by the wide red eyes of Kirara, the sleepy half lidded eyes of Shippo, and the worry filled eyes of Kagome. Shippo probably told her what happened and that he could that Miroku was with her so she didn't want to interrupt them but she was still worried.

* * *

Inuyasha had gotten in late last night after his little 'excursion' and hadn't really gotten much sleep. There was too much rolling around in his head for him to sleep, especially when he was in Kagome's home. Tired of not being able to get a decent rest Inuyasha made sure that any mess he had made the night prior was picked up before darting out of the house and into the forest towards the Sacred Tree. He needed to think and what place could be better than where his relationship with Kikyo ended and his relationship with Kagome began. Coming to a halt in front of the large tree Inuyasha took a deep breath as he reached out to touch the scared part of the tree where his body was stuck for fifty years.

"An arrow sealed me here for so long after a trick and was broken by Kagome. I thought she was Kikyo at the time and there have been multiple times after that where I thought she was Kikyo too." Inuyasha spoke out loud to himself. There had been so many instances where demons had used the fact that Kagome was Kikyo's reincarnation against him. They wanted to wound his mentality by making him relive the part where the girl he loved attacked him and was killed. If it weren't for Kagome's stubbornness it may have worked. He didn't know how, but she was always able to fight the control and let him know that something wasn't right. Inuyasha admired how strong she could be. Kagome came a long way, it was hard to believe that she was the stupid girl running away and screaming at everything he met two years ago. Now she had spiritual powers that even surpassed Kikyo's.

There it was again. He had been thinking about Kagome but turned the topic back to Kikyo. The two women were so similar yet they couldn't be more different. Kikyo could hold a grudge like nothing. Where as Kagome, while her anger could terrify anyone, she never stayed mad for long. It was a quality that Inuyasha had subconsciously relied upon because of how often he made mistakes. There were plenty of times where normal women would have given up on him, but Kagome never did.

"Why did this have to happen…" Inuyasha whined as he rested his forehead against the tree in front of him.

The half-demon could rattle off a plethora of things he liked about either women but that wouldn't help him. It wasn't a matter of who made the most sense or who would be the easiest to be with. It was a matter of who it was felt right to be with. Even though it didn't last long and he never met his father, Inuyasha still wanted a love that was like the one between his late mother and father. A love where he didn't mind dieing to protect his family even if it meant that he didn't get to watch them grow. As long as they were alive, that would be enough because he didn't think he could live in a world without them.

It wasn't an unknown fact that Inuyasha and Kikyo had a past that Kagome couldn't compare to. It was known and often thrown around whenever he ran after Kikyo during their search for Naraku because it upset Kagome. She couldn't understand why he would go running off to find Kikyo when the whole group knew that her only goal was to drag Inuyasha to hell with her while Kagome had done nothing but be kind and generous towards him.

Maybe Inuyasha had already found his "I'd rather die than be in a world without you" love and he didn't realize it because of Kikyo trying to kill him so many times. Now that he wasn't fighting for his life anymore he could actually think about it. Turning around Inuyasha dropped to the ground and rested his back against the trunk of the Sacred Tree while deep in thought. Kaede had once asked him why his face looked so peaceful when he was sealed to the tree for eternity after Kikyo fired her last arrow before death took her. He didn't understand her question at the time but perhaps it was because in some odd sense, Inuyasha felt that he was still with Kikyo. Kikyo was dead and he was never going to wake up again so it was almost like the two of them had died together. That would also explain why he was never angry with Kikyo for constantly trying to kill him or going after Kagome. Sure Inuyasha was surprised the few times he was informed that Kikyo tried to kill Kagome but he never was truly mad at her for it. He thought of the times that he had kissed Kagome and how they felt nice. The half-demon could always feel how much Kagome cared for him when the two of them embraced. It was nice to be on the receiving end of those feelings. It wasn't like he didn't feel the same level of caring for Kagome and he did love her but it just wasn't enough. Then Inuyasha thought of the times he had kissed Kikyo. They had only kissed once before she died, but it was a sweet kiss. A kiss that felt good. One that felt like it was supposed to be that way. Even when Inuyasha kissed her clay body, even though she was cold the kisses still never felt wrong. The kiss from last night resurfaced and the dog demon recalled how upset he felt when Kikyo said she 'left' him to Kagome. That part bothered him more than he could say. That's when it clicked. He was still in love with Kikyo and he had to figure out how to tell Kagome. The girl who had forgiven him time and time again who had just lost her home only six months ago that he couldn't be with her anymore.

"Damn… this sucks…" Inuyasha cursed to himself as he picked himself up off the forest floor. Lifting his golden gaze up to the sky through the tree canopy a sigh left his lips. "Kami-sama give me strength to figure out this mess I've gotten myself into." he said with another sigh before starting his walk back to the village.


	4. Chapter 4

Kagome planned to return to Sango and Miroku's hut after making a quick pit stop at hers to get changed. Miroku had given her a brief overview of what had just happened so she figured it best to leave those two on their own for a few minutes. Mulling over Miroku's questions as she pulled on some shorts, _'Things she can eat or drink that won't upset her stomach…'_ Kagome thought to herself, buttoning the waist of the fitted shorts she chose. The light denim material hugged the curve of her toned bottom perfectly while the hem on the legs stopped about two inches below her rump. Yes the garment was a little shorter than she would have liked for this era, but after two years of everyone staring at you like you are insane or a whore because of wearing something perfectly acceptable in her own time period, Kagome had basically given up caring what others thought of her clothing.

Throwing on one of the sports bras she remembered to stash away, the young priestess pulled a well fitted tank top on over top. Sighing slightly, it had just occurred to her that it had been almost a whole day since she saw Inuyasha after their fight-not fight. Not wanting to dwell on that Kagome pulled on a pair of socks before padding over to her kitchen, or at least what passed for a kitchen in this time period. Bending her knees she lowered herself into a squatting position as she opened the door to where she had stored all the cookware Sango had made for her. Sifting through all of the iron the little miko found the item she was looking for. The square skillet she used when making pancakes for Shippo and the bread pan. Placing the two items in her carrying basket Kagome shoved her feet into her hiking boots, hastily tieing them and then set back out for her friend's hut.

Knocking on the door frame once she was there to signal that she was back the young miko pulled off her shoes. Moving to where Miroku was sitting next to Sango who returned to her bedroll. Worry was written all over her face. It wasn't like Sango to get sick. Never in the two years that Kagome had known the female slayer had Sango ever gotten sick. Kagome sat herself quietly on the floor next to Miroku and handed over the contents of her basket. "This flat pan, I use it for pancakes but you can also use it to make toast. In my era it's one of the foods people always eat when they are worried food won't stay down. Slice the bread evenly and butter both sides. Leave it on the pan until the side is lightly browned and then flip it. The key to good toast is you want it crunchy but not burned. You can put a little bit of jelly on it if she would like. I'm not sure how much bread you have left but this is a pan for baking bread. Just grease up the sides, put in your dough and bake. Kaede makes better nausea suppressing tea than I do, so ask her for that. I do have one other idea that may be able to help…" Kagome rattled off as well as a few other tips and tricks to upset stomachs before scratching the back of her head. It was a slightly awkward movement because she wanted to ask something but wasn't fully sure on how best to do so.

"Um… Miroku, Kohaku is rebuilding the slayer village right?" The young miko asked. Kagome knew that it was an awkward moment to ask but there was something she wanted to do. If Sango wasn't sick she would have rather asked her friend to accompany her.

Miroku turned his head to look at Kagome. He didn't mind the sudden, if not random change in topic but he was curious as to why Kagome asked about Kohaku. "The last time Sango heard from Kohaku she told me that the village was almost fully rebuilt. He had managed to find people who wanted to be demon slayers so they followed him to the village and helped restore it. Why the sudden interest Kagome?" the monk asked, curious about her sudden interest in Sango's home village.

Kagome tucked a strand of raven hair behind her ear before fiddling with the hem of her shorts. "I know I have gotten a lot better since I first got here but I'm still not much help. My clothes aren't meant for fighting demons and I'm lucky everytime my arrow actually hits what I'm aiming at. If Sango was feeling better I'd ask her to help me… I was actually going to ask her today but… ya know." the young miko trailed off as she started toying with a section of hair that now easily hung down to her waist.

Miroku never liked it when Kagome talked about herself like this. She had saved their lives so many times so why was it that she never felt like she had more self worth? _'Inuyasha is so stupid. Does he not see how he has affected Kagome?' _the monk thought to himself, trying to figure out how to help Kagome see that she was worth so much more than how she felt. "Kagome, have you forgotten the amount of times that only you could send Naraku running with his tail between his legs? You were the only one who could track the shards and tell which ones belonged to who towards the end of the battle. You have value Kagome, so don't write yourself off." Miroku tried to cheer her up, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

The young miko looked over at her friend with a small smile on her face. Kagome was glad she was friends with Miroku. Even though his perverted ways were tiresome at points, the monk really was a good person and always knew what to say to make her feel a little better about herself. "I know that Miroku, don't get me wrong. I understand that I have value but sometimes understanding just isn't enough." Kagome sighed, her head drooping a little before she continued. "I can't hunt. Inuyasha or Kirara have to carry me all the time. I'm always left in the back with Shippo when we get into fights. Hell, even Koga and Sesshomaru have saved me a few times. Miroku I need to be able to take care of myself, or at the very least be a little better at it just in case…" Kagome trailed off, her hair hid her face from Miroku while her gaze was lowered to the ground.

The young priestess wasn't one to admit her shortcomings. Kagome didn't like admitting that she was weak. She could probably thank her stubbornness for that. Or that she was a proud individual. The raven haired teen didn't used to be like this. Back in her era before all of this started she was good at school, good at sports and could cook well. Kagome never doubted herself or her abilities. She also wasn't being continuously compared to anyone either. Kagome was free to be herself. Every return trip home Kagome could see the light in her eyes slowly fading, making her warm chocolate eyes appear dull and lifeless. The power and determination never left, the fire was still there but it wasn't the same. Constantly being compared to Kikyo was taking its toll her. Everything from the way she looked to the way she acted, even small mannerisms were compared to Kikyo. Kagome started to feel less like a person and more like a failed doll. One the no one wanted but bought anyway because it was the next best thing. Kikyo was perfect while Kagome was defective. Inuyasha constantly leaving her to go running after Kikyo didn't help matters either. It was like she was just filling a void until the original came back, never good enough to keep his full attention. If she was going to successfully live in this era something needed to change.

Kagome wasn't sure what was going to happen, but she did know better than to rely on happily ever afters. Life had a way of hitting you when you least expected it. She learned that the hard way with her own family. Everyone was happy. Her mother was pregnant with her little brother Sota and then all of a sudden her father was taken from them. Sure the Higurashi family got through it and got by but it was never the same. There was never the same level of happiness as before because a crucial part of their family wasn't there to experience it. So Kagome wanted to be prepared just in case something happened that caused her to be on her own. She wanted to be able to safely take care of herself and Shippo. Even if something forced her out of the village she was going to take care of the little fox kit she viewed as her child.

* * *

When Sango returned to her bed roll she didn't fall back asleep. Laying down just felt better. Being flat on the ground made it feel less like her insides were all kinked together. She could breathe and the nausea was starting to subside. The female slayer could hear the conversation in the room going on without her and Sango knew that both Kagome and Miroku thought that she had dozed off again. Her face flushed in slight embarrassment when heard Kagome instructing Miroku on ways to help with the nausea. She couldn't deny that Miroku cared for her but she was so used to taking care of herself that Sango couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed at her helplessness. Which made Miroku's concern all the more endearing. When the conversation shifted more towards Kagome, Sango laid still, listening, hoping to get an insight on her friends feelings. Kagome was so good at bottling things up and taking care of others that Sango was convinced that her friend forgot to take care of herself. The young slayer knew that Kagome liked the demon slayer outfit that she wore when fighting. Kagome often made comments about it. How it was more practical than her era's clothes. That Sango looked good in it. How it seemed easy to move it and other comments of similar nature. That's when it hit her, Sango knew just how to cheer up her friend.

Sango sat up, ignoring Miroku's protests about how she should lay back down and get some rest. "Miroku I'm fine. I already feel better." She told the worried monk sitting next to her before turning her head to look at Kagome. "How would you feel about accompanying me on a trip back home. I think I know how to cheer you up Kagome." Sango told her friend with a slightly devious smile on her face.

All worry that Sango was ill flew out the window when Kagome saw the smile spread across Sango's face. A light chuckle escaped Kagome's lips as she watched Sango handle Miroku's worrying. "Am I allowed to be privy to this method of cheering me up or no?" Kagome asked, her own grin twitching at the corners of her lips.

Sango thought for a moment as she tidied up her hair, mulling over possibilities, "I think I'm going to keep you in the dark on this one Kags. It's more fun when you are properly surprised." Getting up out of bed the female slayer went about putting away her bedding and getting dressed. Moving around to the section of the hut that Sango had designed for changing she quickly pulled on her kimono. She did make sure to move carefully so that she wouldn't upset her stomach again, just in case. Coming back out into the main room Sango couldn't help but laugh a the dumbfounded look on Miroku's face, "Miroku, can you watch Shippo for Kagome while we are gone?" she asked while hoisting Hiraikotsu onto her back.

Miroku stammered, looking like a fish out of water with his lack of being able to form words. Sango going from being doubled over and laying in bed to ordering him around and dismissing his concern threw him for a loop. He did agree to watch Shippo though. The slayer and the monk knew that they were Kagome's first choices when it came to the little fox's well being. Kagome thanked Miroku as both her and Sango walked outside, climbing atop a transformed Kirara before taking off towards Sango's village.


	5. Chapter 5

_Hey guys! Omkara here, just wanted to apologize for taking so long with this update. Originally I wanted to try and have enough chapters written so that I could do a release schedule but life decided to say no to that idea ^^;; I was busy with work and then I didnt have access to a computer, then when I got the computer I couldnt use it, then my rabbit died. Its been a trip. I just wanted to let you guys know that I was still continuing with this story. I've invested too much time and money (yes I commissioned art for this cuz I love my idea and wanted cover art for you guys and myself to enjoy) to just let it die. Hopefully I will be able to update more frequently in the future! Thank you for taking the time to read my story and please leave a review, they help keep me motivated!_

* * *

The sun had just started it's upward climb into the sky when Koga had just finished packing the soft leather bag he had strapped around his shoulders. Normally the young wolf demon didn't pack anything when he traveled. With his speed making sure he had extra supplies wasn't really necessary. This time was different. The items he packed weren't for himself, they were for Kagome. With Naraku gone the wolf demon tribe wanted to do something for Kagome. The young priestess had helped them out with a number of battles and was the one to finally end an enemy everyone had in common. So they wanted to do something to show their gratitude, even if it was in just a small manner. To also show her that she was always welcome among them. When one of the elders died after the final battle he had requested to be made into armor for the young girl. Most of the tribe was shocked by his request but they understood so when Hageshi passed the craftsmen of the tribe set to work. When they were finished Koga was the first to know. He was the only one who knew where to find Kagome after all, plus him being the fastest in the whole tribe helped. Koga rounded up Ginta and Hakkaku excitedly, it wasn't everyday he got to go on a special mission to see his woman.

"Where we goin' boss?" Hakkaku's gruff voice asked full of curiosity.

"Are we going to see big sis?" Ginta chimed in hopefully.

"Will both of you shut up!" Koga hollered at both of them. If anyone was excited to get to see Kagome, no one was more excited than him. "We need to get these to Kagome." he told the idjits he viewed as his friends while gesturing to the bundle on his back before taking off in a whirlwind.

Ginta and Hakkaku rolled their eyes and groaned as their leader took off and left them in the dust. Again. They were never fond of how they were always being left behind but when your leader was as fast as Koga it was inevitable. They were excited to be able to see Kagome though. Maybe this time she would truly decide to become their big sis. Either way it didn't matter, the two of them just enjoyed being able to see her on occasion. Turning in the direction Koga ran off in, the two of them started their usual chase after Koga, complete with them yelling at him to slow down. With Koga's speed it would only take him a few hours to reach Kaede's village. Ginta and Hakkaku on the other hand, they may take a little longer.

It didn't take the young wolf prince long to reach Inuyasha's forest on the outskirts of Kaede's village. Obviously he would have preferred it if Kagome came to live with him after the battle with Naraku was over but he understood her loyalty to her friends. It was also why he chose her to be his woman, her loyalty. There were other qualities that Koga liked about the miko. She was brave, practically fearless, was good with children, ran her pack fairly, everyone who met her ended up liking her in some way. The list goes on. The one thing that Koga couldn't wrap his head around though was why someone as strong as Kagome was letting mutt-face drag her through the mud. In his eyes Kagome could have her pick of anyone. The young wolf prince preferred that if she did pick anyone, that is was him, but she kept going back to someone who couldn't make a simple choice. Frankly it bothered him. In Koga's mind, the choice was simple. Kagome. Always Kagome. Inuyasha on the other hand, Koga had noticed that he fluctuated between Kikyo and Kagome. Often resulting in his woman becoming upset, much to his displeasure.

Koga had mulled over many things as he ran. Most of them having to do with Kagome. How anytime she was with him she got hurt less than when she was with Inuyasha. The wolf demon remembered running into Kagome's pack a few times where his woman was either emotionally subdued or physically wounded. A low growl caught in the back of his throat as he remembered the incident when Kagome had almost died in a temple fire caused by the Band of Seven. Her being poisoned by one of them previously hadn't helped matters either. 'If I was the one protecting Kagome none of those things would have ever happened!' Koga internally roared at himself.

As the wolf prince neared the village Kagome and her group called home, Koga's sharp nose picked up the scent of a half demon he knew all too well. Taking a slight detour Koga altered his path slightly so that he would run into Inuyasha. Thinking about all the times that mutt-face allowed her to get hurt annoyed him and who better to take the annoyance out on than the one who caused it. A wolfish grin spread across his lips as an idea formed in the back of his mind once Inuyasha came into view. Leaping into the air Koga's wrapped feet landed squarely on the half-breed's head forcing Inuyasha to crash land into the forest floor below. "Oh, sorry mutt-face, didn't see ya there.." Koga started.

Inuyasha wasn't in the best of moods when Koga landed on him so the half-demon instantly sprang back up onto his feet, forcing Koga off of him as he did so. "Get offa me ya stupid flea bag! I don't wanna smell your stench on me all day…" he huffed, a clawed hand inching towards the hilt of Tessaiga. Just waiting for Koga to give him an excuse to draw his sword.

"Someone sure is a lil' touchier today than usual…" Koga prodded at him. Inuyasha was usually quick to pick a fight but for some reason Koga noticed that silver haired male before him was a little more on edge today than usual.

The young wolf prince hadn't noticed it before. Why would he, it's not like it was of any importance to him but there was a slight change to the smell rolling off of Inuyasha. Normally Koga would have overlooked it had Inuyasha not made a big deal over smelling like him. The complaint just brought the subtle smell change to the forefront of his mind and now he was trying to figure out the strangely familiar yet different scent that plagued him. It smelled like Kagome did but different, more subdued and earthy. It was a quiet smell compared to the vibrancy of Kagome's scent and that's when it hit him. "You saw that dead priestess last night didn't you?" Koga asked him accusingly, wondering if Kagome knew.

Inuyasha stiffened when Koga found him out. With his luck Koga would run off and tell Kagome before Inuyasha had a chance to explain himself. "S-so? What's it to you if I see her or not ya mangy wolf?!" the silver haired half demon spat back at the wolf demon in front of him, cursing under his breath when he realized that he had just confirmed Koga's suspicions.

Koga could smell the unease and guilt rolling off of Inuyasha in waves. "What about Kagome?" the wolf demon asked coldly, the reactions Inuyasha had been giving him making him angrier than when he first ran into the mutt. "Ya know what, don't answer that. I don't want to know" Koga interjected before Inuyasha had a chance to respond, taking off towards the village again.

* * *

Ginta and Hakkaku had finally caught up with Koga but he was talking with Inuyasha when they found him so the two of them had opted to keep quiet and watch. Using the opportunity to catch their breath. The interest of the two wolf demons was peaked when they heard Koga mentioned Kikyo. Practically flying into crouched positions so that the two of them could get closer without being seen Ginta and Hakkaku snuck close enough to the two rivals that they could hear better.

"Wasn't Kikyo that dead lady Inuyasha kept leaving Kagome for?" Ginta whispered to his white haired companion.

"I think so… but why would he be sneaking off to see her? Shouldn't she be dead?" Hakkaku whispered back.

"Well obviously she is alive you moron…" Ginta almost hissed at Hakkaku.

"Hey, don't take your confusion out on me! Maybe the jewel did this…" Hakkaku shot back, his voice still not going above a whisper with a little effort to keep from yelling at his pack mate.

"Why would the jewel bring that woman back to life?" Ginta questioned.

"How should I know? The only thing that ever made sense to me about that stupid thing was that it was powerful and made beings with weak hearts and minds slaves to its power." Hakkaku answered.

Ginta scratched his head in annoyance. Partially because he didn't understand the new information he had just heard. The other part being because Koga took off again. The wolf demon wondered what his leader would do now knowing that Inuyasha was possibly being unfaithful to Kagome once again.

The two wolf demons could really care less if Kagome stayed with Koga or not. The young priestess saved their tribe and personally saved Ginta and Koga from the Birds of Paradise so in their eyes she was pack no matter what. She could never love Koga and they still wouldn't treat her any different than they already did now. Their leader may have slightly impure thoughts where Kagome was concerned but the other two wolf demons truly valued her as family so with a huff and a shared eye roll between the two of them Ginta and Hakkaku picked up their pace to try and follow Koga once more.

* * *

Koga stood on the outskirts of the village he knew that Kagome called home, nose in the air as he tried to sniff out where she might be. He may have changed his ways about pillaging and devouring humans and their villages but that didn't mean that he was suddenly comfortable around large groups of them. Following his nose he found the hut that he could easily assume that she stayed in. The small house had faint smells of Kagome's whole pack but mostly smelled of her and the little fox tyke she had adopted. Sniffing the air once more the azure eyed wolf demon located another area in which Kagome's scent was radiating from that was a little fresher. Turning on his heel Koga calmly headed in his new direction so as to not startle the other villagers. They may have come to accept the fire cat, fox, and Inutrasha but he was new and definitely didn't want to cause a scene.

Closing in on where the second source of his woman's scent was coming from Koga frowned when he was greeted by the sight of the strange, purple clad monk that she traveled with. Koga wasn't exactly a fan of his lecherous ways but knew first hand that Kagome wasn't a recipient of said advances so he shrugged it off. At least the monk let him spend time with Kagome without causing a scene unlike some half demon he knew.

"Hey monk, have you seen Kagome?" Koga asked the other male as he got closer, noticing that the monk was monitoring the little fox tyke as he played with some of the other village children.

Miroku had felt Koga's aura before he even walked into the village. Knowing that the Eastern Wolf Tribe leader wouldn't do anything to the humans in the area Miroku didn't really feel the need to worry about his presence. After all, Koga did aid them in defeating Naraku, showing hostility now wouldn't serve any purpose. "Sango and Kagome left the village a little while ago on Kirara." Miroku started, glancing at the demon near him out of the corner of his eye. "May I ask why you are looking for her?" the monk finished, taking notice of the pack that Koga carried, vaguely remembering that the wolf demon had never carried anything extra before in all the times they have come across him.

Seeing no harm in telling the monk his true motives for visiting Koga explained his purpose, secretly hoping that since he was here for a legit reason that the monk would tell him where the two females went. "Old man Hageshi died after the battle with Naraku. Kagome had helped out our clans so much with the damn birds and all of Naraku's messes. In death the old coot wanted to be useful so he instructed his body be made into equipment pieces to show that Kagome will forever be an honorary wolf demon. I was sent to deliver them but I guess she isn't here."

All Miroku could do was blink for a few minutes after what he just heard. Sure Koga dropping by as errand boy was innocent enough but what he heard was still surprising. For Kagome to be recognized across all the tribes as an honorary wolf demon was a huge honor. For wolf demons they took the meaning of pack to a whole new level. Sure dog yokai still used pack dynamics and during their travels Miroku was well aware that he was and still is part of Inuyasha's pack. It was their way of forming a family that they chose, but wolves were essentially wild dogs. Their packs were their salvation. A wolf without a pack was as good as dead so for Kagome to be considered pack across the board without being actually mated to Koga was impressive. Though, he had to guess that that was just Kagome being herself. He couldn't put his finger on what exactly it was, but Miroku knew that there was something about Kagome that just drew people to her. She was basically a magnet, and everyone who met her ended up loving her.

Turning his attention back to the children playing in front of him Miroku finally spoke after his mind decided to start working again. "I think that the ladies were headed to Sango's home village…" Miroku paused before continuing, wondering if he should actually say the last bit of his sentence. The monk knew that Kagome didn't harbor any romantic feelings for Koga. Although, he did know that her emotions were usually better after he visited because of all the compliments he gave and right now he felt like Kagome could use a little flattery. "She's been feeling a little down lately so hearing you say that will hopefully brighten her spirits."

Not needing any more encouragement Koga took off after the smell of the fire cat just as Ginta and Hakkaku caught up with him. Giving the two of them an apologetic smile Miroku watched as they groaned and trudged after their leader who was already a whirlwind in the distance.


	6. Chapter 6

Sango was acting mysterious and secretive the whole journey back to her home village. No matter what Kagome tried she couldn't get Sango to give away any of her plans, the mischievous smile still plastered on her face. After a while Kagome gave up trying to pry information out of her friend and settled in for the ride. Absentmindedly Kagome's fingers brushed through Kirara's fur, eliciting a pleased growl from the large feline as they flew. A faint smile spreading across Kagome's lips as she continued her ministrations sinking deeper into thought as they flew. Unfortunately her mind brought up topics that she would have prefered left in the dark. Like all the times Inuyasha had left her for Kikyo. How his mood always worsened when he had something to hide. Granted that wasn't a huge red flag because he had a combative attitude to begin with, it just came out more so when he was having problems working out his emotions. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she looked up into the sky, watching the clouds speed by, something was going on with Inuyasha and there was a good probability that she wasn't going to like what it was. His bad moods never worked out in her favor unless a demon needed killing. With that Kagome shook her head and decided to not let her doubts ruin whatever Sango had in store for her.

"How much longer?" Kagome asked the slayer, not shifting her gaze away from the clouds.

Sango shifted on Kirara slightly, just enough to comfortably turn to address Kagome's question. A faint glimpse of a strangely familiar shape catching the corner of her eye for a moment before Kagome had her full attention. "We should be there shortly. With Kirara it shouldn't take us much longer to reach my home village." Seeing Kagome nod her acceptance of the answer she was given Sango turned back around, catching another glimpse of that same familiar shape. Only this time, it was a little closer and she could make out what it was a little more clearly, Koga's whirlwind.

"Well, that was before needing to make a pitstop anyway…" Sango trailed off, talking to herself before signalling Kirara to land.

The altitude shift brought Kagome's attention back to reality and out of the clouds, knowing that Sango wouldn't have asked Kirara to to stop unless there was a good reason. Grasping her bow tighter in her hand the young priestess started to scan her surroundings, looking for any signs of danger. Slipping off of Kirara's back when the fire feline set foot on the ground again Kagome tucked a strand of her long raven locks behind her ear, keeping her back to Kirara as she surveyed the area. Her time fighting Naraku has taught her to always protect herself and right now standing with her back to the giant flaming feline she called a friend was the safest position. Moments later a huge gust of wind blew both girls hair every which way about them before a familiar demon stepped out of an all too familiar cyclone. Seeing Koga striding towards them Kagome assumed that he was the reason why they stopped. Seeing as they were headed towards a recently rebuilt demon slayer village talking with Koga now was probably the best solution, especially since Ginta and Hakkaku probably weren't too far behind.

A small smile graced Kagome's lips. No she didn't return Koga's feelings but he was a dear friend to her. Even though he couldn't take no for an answer. He did always manage to brighten her day whenever she saw him. Koga was always obnoxiously proclaiming his love for her so even though that was embarrassing at times, she didn't mind all the compliments he gave her. Kagome did admit to herself on more than one occasion that the wolf demon was definitely easy on the eyes. Koga had perfectly sun kissed skin stretch over well toned muscle that rippled with just the slightest of movements. His hair was jet black and always pulled back into a neat high ponytail with a fur band around his forehead keeping his bangs and sweat out of his face. There were a few times where Kagome had wondered what Koga would look like if he had let his hair down instead of keeping it up but then she remembered how much she loved his eyes. Koga's eyes were like a swirling blue current of emotions. Two bright turquoise orbs that always absorbed every detail about her and shone with love and adoration. Kagome couldn't hide anything from Koga's gaze. Except he apparently chose to not see her continuously turning down his advances.

"Kagome! How's my woman today?" the young prince asked, striding up to the two women and taking Kagome's hands within his own, looking into her warm brown eyes.

A light chuckle passed the young priestess' lips as Kagome tried to gently remove her hands from Koga's grasp. "I'm doing well Koga. What are you doing so close to the demon slayer village?" Kagome asked him, her curiosity piqued. The only demons who went near or inside Sango's home were Kirara, Inuyasha, and slain demons that were being turned into armor or weapons.

Koga scratched the back of his head as he thought of a response to his woman's question. "Well, I did go to the village ya usually stay at but that purple monk…"

"Miroku." interjected Sango.

"What..?" Koga asked, momentarily losing his train of thought.

"The monk, his name is Miroku." Sango repeated herself.

"Alright then…" Koga started as he got back into his answer to Kagome's question. "Miroku told me you two were headed here. The wolf tribe elders had something they wanted me to give ya Kagome." the young wolf prince told them as he pulled the pack off his back.

Kagome and Sango peered at the bag Koga was removing from his back curiously. In all the times they have come across him in their travels neither him or his followers carried packs with them. You'd think that Ginta and Hakkaku would have carried something when they were following after Koga during the tail end of their battle with Naraku but they didn't. Looking up from the bag in Koga's hands momentarily Kagome starred in the direction she felt auras she was familiar with. A saying from her time period that she wasn't sure Feudal Japan used popped into her head as she saw Ginta and Hakkaku come into view. _'Speak of the devil and he shall appear… or in this case, they shall appear.'_ Kagome thought to herself with a silent chuckle.

Kagome waved as she happily called out to the two demons running towards them, "Ginta! Hakkaku!"

"Big sis!" they both shouted in unison as they practically barreled into her, enveloping her small frame in a dual bear hug which elicited happy laughter from the female sandwiched between the two boys.

Sango was standing off to the side with Koga and Kirara trying not to laugh at the look on Koga's face. His expression was a mixture of jealousy, because the only time Kagome ever hugged him was when he was injured and she was taking care of him. Anger that his comrades were hugging someone he viewed as his intended. Shock because he had never seen them that excited to see someone again before, not even he got that level of excitement out of the two of them. A happy contentment was also present because it was his two right hand men who had made Kagome happy. Unfortunately for Sango her amusement was short lived when Koga let out a small warning growl when he felt like Ginta and Hakkaku were hanging onto Kagome a little too long.

Clearing his throat afterwards Koga brought the attention back to the pack in his hands. "As I was saying… The tribe elders wanted me to give ya this Kagome. It was actually old man Hageshi's idea." He told her as he shoved the bag into her unexpecting arms.

To say that Kagome was surprised was an understatement as she caught the bag that was shoved into her chest. Not only had she never met the wolf tribe elders before but she definitely hadn't met this Hageshi before, and now he was suggesting things to give her that all the elders agreed with. Kagome carefully unwrapped the leather binding her supposed gift, sitting the pack on the ground as she did so. The young girl didn't want to run the risk of accidentally dropping anything. As she unfolded the leather shell that was around her gift Kagome was greeted with a pile of snow white fur. A look of slight confusion must have crossed her face as she gingerly moved the items, unsure of why the wolf demon tribes would give her fur because Koga's voice was soon heard again.

The wolf demon prince puffed out his chest a little in pride for what he was about to say. Only his woman could get this kind of gift and he was proud of who she was. "It's armor." Koga stated matter of factly, pride evident in his voice.

"Armor… but why would your tribe give Kagome armor?" Sango asked as she curiously peered at the fur over Kagome's shoulder while Kirara in kitten form trotted over to sniff at the white pile of fluff.

Before Koga could answer Ginta chimed in with a response, the smile on his face from seeing Kagome again only growing larger. "Elder Hageshi suggested it because of how helpful big sis has been to our tribes."

"Yeah, she saved Ginta from a Bird of Paradise and fought to save the whole tribe from the birds as well. Tended to Koga's wounds, helped defeat the revived Band of Seven, fought against the cat demon tribe and their revived leader and she defeated Naraku," Hakkaku finished, pride evident in his voice as well because he always loved talking about how wonderful Kagome was.

All Kagome could do was blink. Sure all of those events were true but she never expected to be rewarded for the things she did. It was just in her nature to help. What was she gonna do? Just leave the wolves to die because Koga kidnapped her to be shard detector? It was only natural for her to help them. If she hadn't who knows if they would still be here and quite frankly she enjoyed Ginta and Hakkaku too much to let them die, especially now. They were like brothers to her, morse so since she couldn't go back and see Souta anymore. Sure she liked Koga plenty but she would definitely like him more when he finally grasped the friendship concept and stopped trying to claim her. Plus she couldn't let Inuyasha fight Koga back then, he was already badly injured and it wouldn't have been a fair fight. Bankotsu's group was causing issues for everyone, plus them being revived by jewel shards meant that Kagome had to help fight them to get their shards. It was the same with the cat demons. Their lord was partially revived with the power of jewel shards. They also started causing a lot of issues so they also needed taken care of. So running through all of that in her mind she couldn't really see what she did that was worthy of something like this. The raven haired girl was just doing what she had to do to fix a single mistake she had made two years ago. Everything just happened to be mutually beneficial.

Seeing Kagome's hesitation Koga jumped in again, "The armor is kinda like mine. We didn't know how to make human armor so we settled for things we could make. You have a set of shoulder guards and leg wraps like I do, and you also have a waste wrap. The old man wanted to show his gratitude that he willingly let our tribe's smiths turn his body into these items for ya Kagome." A smile spread across Koga's face as he took Kagome's hands in his once more. "My woman is an honorary wolf demon now,"

If it were possible both Sango and Kagome's jaws would have hit the ground at the end of Koga's statement. Someone being made an honorary wolf demon was literally unheard of until now. Plus there was the fact that one of the elders willingly donated his body for this. "An honorary wolf demon? What does that mean Koga?" Kagome asked him, still in shock over the meaning of the gift she was just given.

"It means that if ya run into any wolf demon while wearing these furs they will treat ya as pack. You will be welcome in any den, not just mine now." Koga explained to the two women, Ginta and Hakkaku nodding along behind him, backing up the information given. Leaning down Koga planted a quick kiss on Kagome's cheek before straightening up again, "Enjoy the gift Kagome! We gotta get back."

Not long after his farewell Koga's body disappeared into a vortex of wind that was basically his signature at this point. The quickly vanishing vortex forcing unhappy moans and groans to escape the mouths of the other two wolf demons present before they took off after their leader. Ginta and Hakkaku waved goodbye to the two women before calling out to Koga to wait for them.

Still partially unable to process the information just given to the two women they looked down at the fur garments in wonder and then back at each other. This process repeated for a few minutes before Kagome finally bent down to retie the leather sack that housed her new found armor. Picking up the package and slinging it across her back like Koga had when he first arrived Kagome shook her head as if trying to jar her mind into restarting. "Did that really just happen?" Kagome asked her best friend while the two of them still stared in the direction the three wolf demons ran off in.

Sango blinked a bit in an effort to discern whether or not her eyes had just played a trick on her. Deeming what just happened as true her eyes trailed to Kagome. "I… believe so." the slayer started off slow but once she started talking again it was like her thought process was kick started. "We can hand that package to someone in the village and they may be able to figure out what that armor can do for you since we make our weapons and armor out of the demons we slay."

Kagome only nodded in response as Kirara transformed once more so that the two girls could continue on their journey to the Slayer village and Sango's surprise.


	7. Chapter 7

_Hey guys! I'm back with another update for you all. I'm glad I was able to do Ginta and Hakkaku justice. Those two are some of my favorite characters so I always love it when they make appearances within the stories I read, so I had to include them in mine! Anywho, enjoy the latest chapter and let me know what you guys think!_

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"Boss! Hey Boss!" Hakkaku tried calling out to Koga as they ran.

Ginta just looked at him as they ran, wondering why Hakkaku was trying to get Koga's attention. After all the time they spent chasing him all over Japan no one knew better than those two that Koga hardly ever stopped for breaks. "What are you doing? You know Koga doesn't like to stop." Ginta asked his brother as they ran.

"Don't you want to know why Koga didn't tell big sis about what we saw in the woods?" the silver haired wolf responded to Ginta's question. "Does she not have a right to know?" Hakkaku shot back at Ginta.

Hakkaku did have a point, Kagome did deserve to know what they found out, but was it their job to tell her? Would she take the news well or would she get mad and accuse them of lying to her? There were many ways this situation could go. Although Ginta never knew Koga to hide things from Kagome and this was the first time he didn't use Inuyasha's screw up to his advantage, so needless to say, his curiosity kicked in as well.

"Koga! Hey Koga!" Ginta hollered in the direction of their leader, who was a gust of wind in the distance.

A grin spread across Hakkau's face at spurring on Ginta's curiosity, but he joined him in trying to annoy their leader into stopping so that their questions could be asked none the less.

* * *

Kirara touched down outside the Slayer village gates within a matter of minutes after getting back in the sky. The girls were still floored over the gift that Kagome had just received so the rest of the journey was made in relative silence. Neither one seemed to know what to say to the other, almost like their thought processes were still rebooting from the initial shock.

One of the guards protecting the gate recognized Kirara, "Open the gate! Sango is back!" he shouted, instructing the gate crew let in the two girls

Kirara transformed and jumped into Sango's arms as they walked through the gates, the two girls nodding their thanks and giving a polite wave. Not fully knowing her way around the village yet Kagome followed Sango through the maze like streets until they reached a big house towards the back. Before Sango could even open the door it slid open and Kohaku lept at his sister, enveloping her waist in his arms in a tight hug. "Sango!" he exclaimed excitedly.

Laughter bubbled to life from Sango at how excited Kohaku was to see her again, the sudden hug forcing Kirara to leave her arms. Sango hugged her brother back and Kirara wiggled her body between their legs, happy to see Kohaku again as well. "I missed you too Kohaku, how have you been? Is the village getting on ok?" Sango asked her little brother.

Untangling himself from his sister, the younger slayer bent down to pick up Kirara and greet her properly as well. "I'm doing well, took down a few Ogre demons last week. The village is almost fully rebuilt and we almost have the number of slayers we had before Naraku destroyed the village. We also have a couple different demon smiths working in the village now too. Not only do we have weapon smiths that can turn demon hides into weapons and armor, we also have a few demons who live here that specialize in weapons that won't try and take over the soul of the human who wields it." Kohaku explained to his sister while scratching behind Kirara's ears.

Kagome was silently letting the siblings have their moment but when she heard that there were demons living in the village as well as slayers her curiosity spiked. "There are demons living in the village with the slayers Kohaku?"

"Hey Kagome!" Kohaku greeted her enthusiastically, having finally come to terms with what he did while under Naraku's control. If Kagome didn't hold his actions against him for all he tried to do to her, then neither should he. "Yes, we actually have a few demons and their families living here. Your group and the demons you've made friends with while fighting against Naraku showed me that not all demons are bad, so we put out word that we needed weapon smiths. A few demons showed up to answer the request and our weapons are better than ever before."

Kagome was happy that the village could coexist the way it did but there was something she didn't quite understand. "The demons living her are aware that the weapons they make are being used to kill other demons right?"

Kohaku nodded in response to Kagome's question, "They already were weapon smiths, and how else would they make those weapons with out demon parts, be them gathered or commissioned by a client who slayed the demon in the first place. It's not like their job has actually changed, they just altered their process to keep our souls from being tainted by the demon the weapon was made from." He explained, coaxing a nod from his sister in understanding.

"You know, he is right Kagome. Think of Totosai? He made two swords for InuTaisho, which were used to kill demons as well as save them. If the weapon's purpose is the same should it matter if the weapon is wielded by a human or a demon?" Sango interjected

Kagome looked between the siblings, "When you put it that way, I guess you have a point. I'm glad that the village is doing so well Kohaku."

The trio went inside the house, conversation never ceasing as the three of them caught up on the ongoings of each other's lives. It wasn't very often that Sango went home for a visit so Kagome was pretty sure that her friend was enjoying this time with her little brother. They talked about everything and anything from jobs Kohaku took to the ongoings of the village, even daily life for either of the two siblings. Sango even teasingly asked him if there was anyone Kohaku had is eye on. That question forced a blush to creep into the young boy's face but he denied everything, saying that there wasn't anyone who caught his eye. How flustered he got with the question made Kagome chuckle slightly. She repositioned herself to get more comfortable and accidentally bumped the pack that Koga had given her, exposing the white fur hidden within. The flash of white remind Sango why she brought Kagome back to the village in the first place.

"Hey Kohaku, do you know who the best armor smith is in the village? I don't mean just bits and pieces, I mean whole slayer attire." she asked her little brother.

Kohaku thought for a moment. Thinking back to who made his gear, who's been repairing it. Which smiths the new slayers have been getting their armor from. Who has been complaining about their equipment or praising it. "Well… lately I've been hearing a lot of good things about Momiken. He's a newcomer here, but I've only heard good things about him. His shop is right in the middle of town."

'_Momiken huh?'_ Sango thought to herself as she focused her attention back to Kagome, "Thanks Kohaku… Come on Kagome, lets go, and don't forget to grab that pack Koga gave you." the slayer said as she got up to head out the door.

Slipping the bag Koga had given her back onto her back, Kagome slipped on her shoes and followed Sango out into the village. Kagome tried asking her why they were going to an armory. If something was wrong with Sango's equipment. Why she needed to bring the wolf armor with them. All of her questions were either met with silence or responses along the lines of _'You'll see when we get there'_ or _'It's a surprise.' _They wandered through the village, heading to the center of it in search of the shop that Kohaku mentioned. When they found it it wasn't anything like either girl had imagined. The building was in the center of town, it was large but simple with two small signs out front, once staked in the ground and another hanging above the entryway to the shop. The place was well lit but it was simple and modest inside. Nothing stood out from the other as a better quality product. As the girls milled about they could tell that each piece was given the same amount of care in its craftsmanship. A pair of purple elbow guards caught Kagome's eye as she wandered over to the area of the store they were housed in. When she got closer she saw the matching toso guards. The purple armor was lined in a gold trim, but it was the torso guards that really caught her eye. Not only did it have the gold trim but it had beautiful floral scroll detailing on it as well. The pieces were gorgeous and the time Kagome spent admiring them didn't go unnoticed by Sango.

"Well, hello there lil lady, anything I can help ya with today?" a cheerful, yet deep voice that suddenly appeared beside Kagome, causing her to squeak in surprise and jump slightly.

Hearing Kagome startle Sango made her way to where her friend was in the store only to be greeted by a wall of fur clad in a crafter's apron. This demon was easily seven feet tall and he was thick. Built like a burly lumberjack his arms were huge and even the untrained eye could tell his body was made of rock hard muscle. Black fur shone with a silvery sheen in the light and when he moved and the light hit him just right Sango could've sworn that she saw dapples. His hair was platinum in color and it was long, his bangs hung in his face, partially hiding warm brown eyes. Sango had seen a lot of demons in her travels, but she had never seen a demon that so closely resembled a draft horse. As if to reaffirm the type of demon he was, an equally long, platinum tail swished behind him. Cylindrical horse ears adorned the top of his head, taking in the sounds of his shop, each one focusing on the two girls. His face was also shaped like a horse's but it had the standard roman nose of a draft horse. The young slayer didn't mean to stare, but the sheer size of him made it almost impossible.

Shaking her head Sango cleared her throat to try and regain control of her own body, "Are you Momiken?" she asked.

The large draft horse lifted his head, platinum locks falling over half of his elongated face as he swished his tail, a smile breaking the corner of his lips, "The one an' only Ma'am. Is there somethin I can help ya with today?" his booming voice filled the shop.

Sango couldn't help but smile at how polite the large demon was, Inuyasha could stand to learn a few things from Momiken as far as she was concerned. "There is actually.." Sango started, gesturing to Kagome. "I'm looking for a combat outfit for her. The clothes she has aren't exactly the best for fighting demons."

Warm brown eyes focused their gaze on the girl he originally greeted, finally taking in her looks instead of paying attention to what items in his shop. She did dress strangely, he had to agree with the previous statement that her clothes weren't best suited to fighting demons. Momiken looked the girl up and down. Her body wasn't bad. He could see the muscle hidden under her skin, not that it was difficult because the girl was showing a lot of skin. "You do have a point there lil Miss. So yur lookin for a full set of battle gear for 'er then?" he asked.

Sango nodded, taking the pack off of Kagome's back and handing it to Momiken, "We do have a few pieces already. There's a sash, leg wraps, and shoulder guards in there. Kagome is a priestess so the body suit would need to work well with a bow and she would need full range of movement in her shoulders and elbows. Since she seemed to be so infatuated with this set of guards right here could we use those?"

"THAT"S WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE?!" Kagome suddenly burst out, causing the other two individuals to flinch at the sudden intensity of her voice.

Sango couldn't help but laugh, "You needed cheering up and you always said how you liked my slayer gear. So… surprise!"

Momiken couldn't help but release a booming laugh at the relationship the two girls had. Clutching the package that he was handed the large horse nodded, "Well then, looks like I got ma wurk cut out for me. Swing back in the mornin. I'll have the whole kit and caboodle on a body model so ya can see what it looks like on a person. Ya can also make last minute alterations if needed."

With a smile the large demon ushered them out of his shop, guaranteeing them a finished product in the morning. Minus any last minute changes Kagome may happen to want.

* * *

Koga could hear his subordinates shouting his name. He tried to ignore them at first but they just wouldn't let up. Turning on his heels the wolf prince dashed back to where Ginta and Hakkaku were trailing behind. "What the hell do you two want?!" he shouted at them, leaping out of his whirlwind and skidding to a halt in front of the other two males.

Ginta and Hakkaku skidded to a halt at the sudden appearance of their leader right in front of them. It was so sudden that they actually ended up on their asses looking up at him when they tried to avoid running into him. "Why didn't you tell Kagome about Inuyasha?" Ginta asked.

Koga cleared his throat, "It wasn't my place. I want Kagome to like me guys, not hate me because she thinks I'm making stuff up." The young prince lifted one of his clawed hands to rub the back of his neck, "If I told her it would've gone a couple different ways, neither of which get me closer to her. Hell, not saying anything still nets me the same result."

Not wanting to draw out this awkward conversation any longer Koga turned on his heel and took off again, disappearing into his signature cyclone. Ginta and Hakkaku looked at one another. When Koga put it that way, they could understand his hesitation at telling Kagome what they found out about Inuyasha.


	8. Chapter 8

_Hey guys! Im sorry that this chapter is on the shorter side. Since everything in the chapter happens during the day I figure I would leave it off like that and start the next chapter in the morning. I was also thinking on giving Momiken a larger part in this story besides creating Kagome's demon fighting gear. He was a character I created spur of the moment, but I really like him and how he is taking shape so let me know if you guys want to see more of him. Also, please forgive any of my typos, I don't have anyone proofreading this story for me so some stuff slips past me and I only catch it when I'm rereading the latest chapters to write the new one._

* * *

Momiken set to work on the order right away, he did tell the girls that their order would be ready in the morning after all. After the girl's left his shop, the large horse pulled out a slender body model so he could piece together the outfit that was just ordered. Being an armor and weapons smith Momiken had body models of many different shapes and sizes, so he pulled one out that he felt closely resembled the build of the strange girl the suit was for.

First, he pulled out the tight black material that the base of all the slayer suits were made of and put it on the model. The material may be tight, but it allowed for a wide range of motion and was harder to cut than you would think. Making a battle outfit for a priestess was certainly different so he wanted to try something a little different. The trim on the neck of the black outfit he chose was a light, powder blue which ended with a flower like stitch at where the collar bone would be. Momiken decided to work from the ground up since one of the girls mentioned that they already had leg wraps. Opening the bag that he was given for the first time since taking the order Momiken's warm brown eyes were greeted by the sight of pristine white fur that smelled distinctly of wolf demons. Now he had to admit that his nose was pretty good, but it was nowhere near the power of the dog type demons, to which he was going to have to ask those young ladies how they got their hands on wolf demon armor. Rummaging through the bag Momiken pulled out the leg wraps that were said to be inside. Cutting off the feet of the black suit he would be exposing the wearer's toes, but having wolf tribe armor inspired him to style this order in the same manner. Placing the wraps around the calves of the body model the large horse grabbed two golden toe rings and some red cloth. Wrapping the foot in the red cloth that wound its way to the top of the fur to be tied in a bow, the large man fashioned it to where all the wearer had to do was slip their foot through the fur and cloth like a boot with their middle toe ending in the ring. Momiken did add a few small leather lace loops so that the ties that wound their way up the fur wouldn't fall down and it would be easier to get the boots on and off, as well as tighten then to the wearer's content.

Next, Momiken took the sash out of the bag and fastened it to the model. He wrapped it in such a way where the tail would rest on the left side while the fur hugged her hips. Taking the torso guards off the wall that his customer requested he slipped them under the sash so that it would hold them in place while he worked. Fetching a strap of red leather off of the wall above his work bench he set to work creating a belt to connect the large armor pieces to. The sash alone wasn't enough to keep the large armor pieces stationary so he made a buckle for each side so that they could remain locked in place during a battle, making sure to put a protective piece of padding under the buckle so that it didn't apply unwanted pressure. Yes, the thickness of the fur belt hid some of the gold detailing on the armor, but in Momiken's opinion it didn't take away from the beauty of the pieces.

Taking the torso guards off the wall revealed the knee guards hidden behind them. While this particular set of armor may be one of the most decorative he's ever made, unfortunately it wasn't given the best display spot in the shop. Normally Momiken displayed his armor sets to where you could see all of the pieces. Lately most of his customers have been men so this set he put towards the back. Unfortunately that meant he didn't have room to display the knee guards as well, hence why they were hanging behind the larger pieces. Grabbing two sections of red rope, he tied the flower petal shaped knee guards in place, the narrow ends resting just over the tops of the white fur leg wraps Momiken turned into boots.

Now all that was left was to figure out the top of the outfit. The large draft horse scratched the top of his head in thought. Pushing his forelock out of the way he remembered the one girl saying that Kagome would need free range movement of her shoulders. Being that the outfit was for a priestess, Momiken figured he could experiment a little. Obviously he couldn't completely get rid of the sleeves because she would still need arm guards to protect against the bow string snapping against her arm. Instead he grabbed two metal rings that snapped open. Cutting the fabric right where the arms meet the body he rolled the fabric down to expose the bicep of the body model. Placing the rings on each arm at about the middle of where the biceps would be and slid the fabric under them and back up the arm. On one arm Momiken made curved cuts to the fabric on the sides, making sure to leave enough so that he could tie the front and back to the arm band, repeating the same process to the other arm. Gathering more red cloth the craftsman stitched the extra fabric to the side of the hand, wrapping it across the palm and bringing it between the thumb and pointer finger to stitch it to the black fabric once more. Repeating the process for the other hand Momiken also collected four more gold rings, two for her middle finger to hold the hand end of the newly designed glove in place and the final two would rest on the wrists. With the gloves made Momiken once more gathered strands of red rope to tie the elbow guards in place. Once that was complete the dark horse reached for the final two pieces hidden within the back that was handed to him. Taking out the white shoulder guards he placed them onto the body model, fastening them in place. Last, but not least Momiken took an expanse of red roped and fashioned a harness for a quiver so that when in battle the girl wouldn't have to worry about dropping arrows or losing her quiver completely. Once that was done Momiken rummaged around the back of his shop, finding a pale leather he had no use for he spent the rest of the night crafting a quiver for the harness he made for the outfit.

* * *

Not wanting to deal with Koga at the current moment, Inuyasha wandered through the forest. He didn't really have a destination in mind, but before he realized what was happening, the dog demon was outside the village the Kikyo lived in. Shrugging his shoulders to himself the silver haired dog demon followed his nose back to the shrine where Kikyo was tending to injured warriors.

"Back so soon?" Kikyo asked him as he neared the entrance of the building she was in.

"What's it to ya?" Inuyasha spat back, still not fully sure why he came here in the first place when he had Kagome back at the village.

Kikyo just shook her head, being used to Inuyasha's sharp personality, "I'm merely stating an observation Inuyasha. Since you are here would you care to aid me for the day?" she asked.

"Feh… I ain't got nothin better to do I suppose.." Inuyasha responded as he walked into the shrine and sat down next to her in his usual dog like pose.

Inuyasha fell into step with Kikyo's routine that day. He helped her tend the wounded by lifting them so she could bandage wounds more effectively if needed. He followed her out into the woods to help her gather medicinal herbs, carrying the basket for her while she picked what was needed. It was almost like those fifty two years never passed. He didn't mean to, but being with Kikyo made him forget that Kagome existed. It was so easy to fall into step with her like he used to that his relationship with Kagome completely slipped from his mind. There were moments where Inuyasha was able to slip in some chaste kisses throughout the day. Some were placed to the top of her head, some her cheek. A kiss was even placed on her lips once throughout the day. When they stopped for lunch he sat with his back against the temple wall and drew her down to sit between his legs while they ate. At the end of the day Inuyasha pulled Kikyo close and kissed her good night, promising to come back and see her again soon.

It wasn't until Inuyasha got back to Kaede's village, walking into the hut he shared with Kagome, her scent hitting him like a brick that he remembered what he was doing with Kikyo was bad. He didn't cheat on Kikyo. She had died, Kagome was her reincarnation, and all during the battle against Naraku Kikyo was a body created from bones and graveyard soil. It wasn't a real body. Plus, he never did anything with Kagome during the battle. Yes they embraced on occasion but it was more so out of comfort than desire even though Inuyasha knew how much Kagome cared for him. That's why he waited until after Naraku was gone to get together with Kagome, he wanted to be sure that Kikyo was finally gone.

Upset with himself Inuyasha punched the wall closest to him before sliding down to sit on the floor, his head resting in one of his clawed hands. "Damn…"

* * *

Miroku had seen Inuyasha take off in the morning and then was greeted by Koga not long after the girls left. The monk figured that Inuyasha would have come back soon after that to try and figure out what Koga wanted. It's not like Koga visited Kaede's village for any other reason than to see Kagome, but Miroku hadn't seen a glimpse of Inuyasha for the rest of the day. Figuring that his friend was taking his frustrations out on stray demons, Miroku left his musings at that. That was, until he was Inuyasha return later in the evening. Wandering over to the hut Inuyasha and Kagome shared to ask him where he wandered off to, the monk stopped when he heard a loud thud. His curiosity won out. Masking his presence Miroku crept up to the window and peered inside. The sight that greeted him was of slight concern. The monk could see faint beads of blood forming on the knuckles of Inuyasha's free hand. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the loud thud and bloody knuckles came from Inuyasha punching a wall. The way he was sitting was cause for concern though. Miroku had only seen Inuyasha with posture like that a few times before, and that was after he snuck off to go see Kikyo during their fight with Naraku.

"Ya messed this up big timed didn't you…?" Miroku heard Inuyasha say to himself before the monk backed away to head home undetected.

'_I really hope this isn't what I think it is…' _Miroku thought to himself on his way home, telling Shippo not to stay out too late when he passed the young fox playing with the other village children.


	9. Chapter 9

_Hey guys! Omkara here, I wanted to apologize for the horrid update schedule I have going on. When work picked back up it was super tiring because I had two jobs. Well now with this stupid virus I got laid off at my main job and only have my 2 day a week barn job where I get paid at the end of the month. Hopefully the virus gets under control soon so I can start actually working again soon, but until then it gives me more free time for this story. Im sorry if things seem to be moving along slowly but I really like Momiken and dont want to leave him just yet, but I promise you we are gonna be visited by the Drama Llama soon. Till then I hope you enjoy this chapter and let me know what you guys think!_

* * *

When morning rolled around, Kagome was dead tired. All of the events of the previous day wore on her. It was a very full day and the surprises never ended. Any sleep she did get Kagome kept waking up because her mind wandered over to the realm of possibilities for Inuyasha's strange behavior, to which she wasn't a fan of any of the solutions her subconscious came up with. So when Sango woke her up nice and early so that they could go back to Momiken's shop, did Kagome chuck a pillow at her friend's head? Yes, yes she did. Did she try and bury herself under her blankets? Oh yeah. Did Sango have to drag her out of bed, much to the amusement of Kohaku and Kirara? Without a doubt. Kagome already hated early mornings, add in a bad night's sleep on top of that and it was hell to wake her up early. If Inuyasha tried he'd just end up in a crater the shape of his body from how hard Kagome would sit him. Miroku would get punched anytime he tried. The only ones who weren't afraid to wake her up were Sango and Shippo, so during their two year journey it became their daily job to wake up Kagome.

Kagome tried to kick her feet free of Sango's grasp to no avail, "Alright, alright, I'm up… let me go Sango…" Kagome grumbled at her best friend, giving up on the dream of more sleep.

"You'd think after these past few years you would start waking up earlier Kagome." Sango teased her friend as she walked away so that Kagome could get dressed.

"And you'd think that after the past two years you'd learn that I like my sleep!" Kagome shot back at Sango as her friend walked out of the room.

Groaning as she slowly raised her body into a sitting position. Outstretching her arms above her head Kagome arched her back like a cat as she stretched, her breasts straining at the sleeping kimono she borrowed. Hoisting herself onto her feet her long, raven tresses spilled around her face. Tucking stray strands behind her ears Kagome quickly changed into her clothes and folded the bedding that was lent to her, placing her borrowed kimono neatly on top of the pile. Raking her fingers through her hair quickly to get most of the tangles out Kagome pulled her mane off to the side, tying it into a loose braid that hung over her shoulder.

"Sango… If I get out there and you aren't ready to go I swear…." the raven haired priestess started to threaten her best friend as she walked out of the room she slept in last night into the main portion of the house where everyone else was.

The female demon slayer just chuckled, grabbing Kagome's hand, dragging her towards the door. The two girls stopped long enough to put on their shoes before continuing on their way. Both girls greeted those who said 'Good morning.' to them as they walked through the village to Momiken's shop. When they reached their destination, the two girls walked inside, the craftsmanship of armor pieces hanging on the walls amazed them once more even though they were just here the day before.

Momiken's keen hearing heard someone walk into his shop, placing the finishing touches on the quiver he spent the night creating the large horse wandered out from his work area to greet the customers. "Welcome! How can I…" he started his usual greeting until he saw that it was the two girls from the day before. "Howdy there! Ya ready ta see what I put tagether for ya lil lady?" Momiken asked the girl who the order was actually for.

Kagome nodded and both girls followed behind the shop keep. Neither of them were expecting the outfit that Momkiken put together. It was stunning and both girls jaws dropped when they saw it. "Like wha cha see gurls?" Momiken asked them, a low, rumbling chuckle escaping him at their reactions.

"Kagome…! You are going to look stunning in that!" Sango exclaimed, hugging Kagome excitedly.

Kagome stared at the outfit that was meant for her. The white fur in stark contrast with the black bodysuit and the purple of the armor pieces shone like a jewel. The body model the outfit was on was slender, like her and Kagome could see how the outfit would hug her curves. Kagome was bustier than the body model so she was a little worried about how the material would handle her larger chest. The part of the outfit that really stood out to Kagome wasn't the white of the fur, or the colors of the armor pieces itself. It was the blood red color that Momiken chose to tie everything together. She hadn't even used the outfit in battle yet but the addition of that color already made it look like she was covered in blood. In a way she could see how the color choice could intimidate certain foes. Following the ropes tied around the chest of the body model Kagome noticed a new quiver that she hadn't seen the night before attached to the ropes.

"Did you make this?" Kagome asked the large craftsman.

Momiken's ears flitted about atop his head, tilting it in curiosity at her question. "Who else did ya think made tha items in ma shop? I make weapons, armor, an supplies fur those weapons…. Sheaths, quivers, arrows, an the like." The large horse explained. "I made ya this las' night su ya wouldn't drop any arrows while fightin."

Sango found herself nodding in agreement to Momiken's comment about losing arrows while fighting. The quiver Kagome currently used was just slug over her shoulder like the strange yellow bag Kagome always carried around. When they fought Kagome always had issues keeping a hold of her arrows. Be it from her forgetting her quiver somewhere or the arrows falling out or her still not being the best of archers yet. Now the female slayer couldn't deny that Kagome's skill with a bow had improved since they met but she was still no master archer yet. Stepping forward to inspect the quiver as well Sango was impressed at the craftsmanship displayed after just one night. He even added a small strip of white fur into the quiver to match the rest of the armor.

"This is really well made! Do you mind if I commission you the next time I need anything?" Sango asked the large demon, clearly impressed with his skills.

A deep chuckle escaped Momiken's lips, "O' course lil lady. I'd be happy ta accept yur patronage when ya request it."

Kagome shifted her gaze to the demon who created her outfit, "May I try it on?" she asked him, wanting to see how the black material fit.

Momiken nodded, "O' course miss, changin room is back thata way." he said with a smile, gesturing to the room around the corner. "Now, thers a few things about tha outfit you need ta know. Yur gloves, tha gold bands open so ya can slip them on easier. Tha leg wraps ya gave me I turned inta boots so all ya gotta do is slip em on and tighten the leather laces, just make sure ya slip yur middle toe inta that ring. All yur guards tie in place, but yur torso guards buckle in place an the wolf hide sash covers tha leather from sight. Yur torso holster for yur quiver is done with box knots suh ya can loosen it ta put it on an take it off an tighten it as ya please once ya slip it on." the large horse told her, bringing one of his large hands up to scratch the back of his neck. "While tha stuff ya were given is top a tha line fur wolves it unfortunately doesn't do much for ya. All it can really do is keep ya warmer when it gets cold. Yur gonna need new weapons if ya want more improvements so ta speak."

Kagome nodded as she took the outfit off of the body model. "That makes sense actually. Out of all the wolf demons that I've been around, the only extra abilities I've seen them posses were Koga's enhanced speed due to the shards and his lightning based attacks from the Gohraishi he obtained to help him battle Naraku. Other than that I haven't seen their armor give them any kind of advantage." she added to the conversation before disappearing behind the curtain around the corner to change into the outfit in her arms.

The black material that made up the base of the Slayer outfits hugged her curves as she slipped the material over her body. Her worries over whether it would fit over her chest properly vanished as soon as she fastened the neckline in place. Looking at herself in the mirror in the room the black bodysuit made her look fantastic! The material actually lifted her breasts slightly to give her a more alluring figure and it made her look even more toned than she already was. First she slipped on the boots and tied the red laces to where they were comfortable on her. Honestly, she liked being able to feel the floor beneath her feet. It allowed her to feel like she was more connected to the earth and her powers. Next she put on her knee guards, toso guards, and fur wrap. Opening the gold ring on her gloves she slid her hands into them, closing the rings around the middle of her biceps. The hand part of the gloves were like Sango's slayer outfit but the rest reminded her of an archery arm guard. With the gloves in place Kagome put the elbow guards on. Slipping the quiver over her head she tightened it around her torso and chest so that it was comfortable to wear but not move around too much. Finally she placed the shoulder guards atop her shoulders. She spun for herself in the mirror, the tail at her hip lifting off of her as she spun. Kagome had to admit, this outfit made her look good, and it was certainly a more practical outfit to fight in than what she usually wore.

"What's taking so long Kagome? I wanna see how you look already!" Sango yeld, trying to get Kagome's attention and hurry her along.

Hearing Sango's voice suddenly caused Kagome to jump a little, bringing her back to reality. "Alright already, I'm coming out!" she yelled back.

Smoothing the fur down on her hips the young priestess stepped out of the changing room, her old clothes in her arms. Throwing the folded pile of clothing over the shoulder of the nearest body model Kagome turned to Sango and shrugged slightly, giving her a little spin. "Well… what do you think?"

Sango couldn't stop herself. Her eyes went wide and she couldn't help the whistle that escaped her lips. "Damn Kagome, you look fantastic! Just wait till Inuyasha sees you in this! He's gonna be so surprised." she exclaimed excitedly.

Hearing Inuyasha's name slightly ruined the mood being in this fantastic outfit put her in. Even Momiken picked up on her mood change, wondering how the mention of one name could've altered her mood so much. It wasn't his place to ask so he kept his mouth shut and decided to help his new customer out some by changing the subject. "Does everythin fit right? Anythin ya wanna change?" he asked the little priestess in front of him.

Mulling it over in her head she twisted and turned to see how the suit moved with her body. The chest area was a little tighter but honestly it just felt like she had a really good sports bra on so it didn't bother her. "Everything feels fine. The chest is slightly tight but I'd rather things be held in place a little better anyway…" she told him, a faint blush crossing her cheeks with what she just said, never expecting to talk to a stranger about her breasts, even if it was vague.

A smile spread across his face, not because of her answer but because he was able to distract her again. "How bout instead of payment ya two help me gather some materials for tha shop? That way ya can test out tha clothes an if anythin needs adjusted we can do it after we get back. I have an order tha requires hides frum a specific demon an a lil extra help couldn't hurt."

Sango and Kagome looked at eachother, grins forming on their faces at the thought of taking out some demons. Plus seeing the big draft horse in action was very intriguing to them.


End file.
